Picking an area to hunt—which unit is best? (Idaho)

[spencerkwick]

Just to clarify, I’m not asking for coordinates, I’M LOOKING FOR GUIDENCE.

I am relatively new to elk hunting and have yet to take my first elk. I’m an Idaho resident, but my brother isn’t, so we’re limited to his luck in the December 1st nonresident tag draw. Two years ago, he ended up with a Middle Fork tag (back of queue), which we quickly learned is not beginner-friendly—we didn’t even see an elk… Last year, he didn’t come up, and I hunted Palisades with no success. It’s close to home (Rexburg), so I’d consider hunting there again, but I can’t help wondering:

IS IT ME OR THE AREAS I’M CHOOSING?

I realize it’s likely a mix of both, but I want to improve my odds by picking a unit with a good elk population. My research so far has led me to Island Park, Sawtooth, Salmon, Pioneer, Smokey Bennet, Diamond Creek, and Tex Creek. Units 36, 36A, and 36B (that corner at the 3 zones) seem promising, with Sawtooth standing out. Island Park also looks good, especially since it’s close enough to scout thoroughly, which I think is the most important factor—time in the field. Tex Creek and Diamond Creek show strong numbers, but I’m less confident in ranking them.

Here’s my thinking: I want to nail down 2-3 good options. If my brother can’t pull a tag for one of them, we’ll skip it altogether—no point in wasting time and money on a dud. My top three picks right now are:

1. Island Park (close to home)
2. Sawtooth (or maybe one of the others nearby in that central part of the state...)
3. Diamond Creek

Does this plan make sense? Any tips on what to focus on or avoid? I’m planning to scout a ton, but with his tag draw coming up, we need to lock in a unit that gives us a decent shot (assuming we put in the work). Thanks!

P.S. We aren't new to hunting or backpacking and I can honestly say we hunted hard for 7 days in middle fork and again in Palisades. We just are just newer to understanding elk and a point in the right direction could go a long way.

 

[Cyril]

I don’t know Idaho at all but I would say, all units have elk. There is a huge advantage to time in the field. If it were me, I would put proximity and likelihood of my brother drawing, as top two priorities. Again, not knowing those units but your time and four eyes versus two, I am guessing would yield better results.

 

[V2Pnutrition]

Cyril gave you some great advice. Virtually every zone is going to have elk. IDFG publishes data that tells you which of those have larger concentrations even.

I hunted a zone this year that I’ve hunted for just shy of 10 years. We’ve seen elk every year of those 10 years. Sometimes they’re in the same (ish) area and other times not at all. I hunted that zone this year for 6 days without seeing a single elk. Finally found them on day 7 and was able to fill the tag on day 8- the last day of the season.

All of that to say part of finding elk is time in the field and trying to figure out where they are pending on what season you’re hunting, pressure, etc. Because of that, I’d say you guys try to pull something close to home to get in the field as many days as possible over the stretch of a season and solve that puzzle.